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Gladiator (2000 film)

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Gladiator
File:Gladiatorteaser.jpg
Directed byRidley Scott
Written byDavid Franzoni
Produced byDouglas Wick
David Franzoni
Branko Lustig
StarringRussell Crowe
Joaquin Phoenix
Connie Nielsen
Oliver Reed
Richard Harris
Distributed byDreamworks/Universal Pictures
Release dates
5 May, 2000
Running time
155 min.
LanguageEnglish
Budget$103,000,000

Gladiator is a 2000 movie directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. It won five Academy Awards in the 73rd Academy Awards ceremony, including the prestigious Academy Award for Best Picture. Gladiator is a commercially successful film but, like most films based in antiquity, it was criticized by historians for its inaccuracies [1].

Plot

Template:Spoiler

A farmer-turned-soldier by the name of Maximus Decimus Meridius (played by Russell Crowe) is one of the top generals in the Roman army. He leads his men to many victories and gains the support from the masses and even the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. The emperor is dying, and because he trusts Maximus over his only son Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix), the emperor appoints temporary leadership to Maximus in order to return the power to the Senate. When Commodus realizes what is about to happen, he murders his father in order to acquire the position through default. At the same moment, he also orders his men to murder Maximus before he can claim his rightful position. Maximus escapes his fate only to find that both his wife and son have been crucified. Maximus then must start over and work his way up by fighting as a gladiator in various arenas. To gain success and power, he appeals to the Roman people. His power and fame continue to grow until he finally reaches the Roman Colosseum and comes into contact again with his true enemy, Commodus. Maximus is tested both physically and emotionally. He must avenge the death of his wife and son and honor the final wishes of his true emperor.

Themes

There are many important themes throughout the entire movie; however, the most significant theme is that heroic virtues end up winning in the end. Maximus loses everything sacred to him and falls into a low point of despair. Eventually, he must work his way up the ladder by fighting as a gladiator. This plays to the theme because through his strong virtues, he ends up gaining everything he once lost. By maintaining one's honor and using physical and mental skills, it is possible to conquer any task or problem in life.

Cast

Historical sources

File:Commodusj.jpg
Commodus as portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix

The Roman emperors portrayed in the movie are Marcus Aurelius (played by Richard Harris), who ruled AD 161–180, and his son, the deranged Commodus, who ruled between 180–192, and scandalized Roman society by appearing in the Colosseum as a gladiator, and spent most, if not all, of his time as Emperor in staging gladiatorial combats, seemingly obsessed with the sport. The film's characterization attempts to reflect Marcus Aurelius's reputation for wisdom but does so by placing a modern democratic slant to his actions and beliefs. The representation of Commodus is extremely watered down, as Commodus was far more insane and bloodthirsty than he appears in the film. While Commodus was the only Roman Emperor to fight as a gladiator (discounting reports of Caligula having done the same, as there is no record outside of Suetonius that he ever did so), he was not killed in the arena, as the film suggests. Gladiator also implies that "Rome was founded as a Republic" and that it returned to republicanism upon the death of Commodus, neither of which are true.

The city of Rome is seen in all of its glory, and the Colosseum is accurately seen as the stadium and theater for the Roman people.

The character of Maximus is entirely fictional, though he is similar in some respects to the historical figures of Narcissus (the character's name in the first draft of the screenplay and the real killer of Commodus), Spartacus (who led a significant slave revolt), and Cincinnatus (the saviour of Rome who wished nothing more than to return to his farm).

Influences from film and literature

The film's plot basically comes from two 1960s films of Hollywood's sword and sandal genre, The Fall of the Roman Empire and Spartacus.

The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) tells the story of Livius, who, like Maximus in Gladiator, is Marcus Aurelius's heir. Both films tell the story of Commodus' murder of Marcus Aurelius and his seizure of power when he learns that the old emperor is planning to appoint Livius/Maximus as his successor. Livius/Maximus are exiled and seek to avenge Marcus Aurelius by killing Commodus.

Spartacus (1960) provides the film's gladiatorial motif, as well as the character of Senator Gracchus, a fictitious senator (bearing the name of a pair of revolutonary Tribunes from the 2nd century BC) who in both films is an elder statesman of ancient Rome attempting to preserve the ancient rights of the Roman senate in the face of an ambitious autocrat — Marcus Licinius Crassus in Spartacus and Commodus in Gladiator. Interestingly, Gracchus was played in Spartacus by Charles Laughton, who played Claudius in the 1937 film I, Claudius, while he was played in Gladiator by Sir Derek Jacobi, who played Claudius in the 1975 BBC adaptation.

Additionally, Maximus, Quintus and other characters, as well as the opening sequence of the film (set in Germany), are inspired by a work of historical fiction by Wallace Breem, Eagle in the Snow (set some 200 years later).

The film's depiction of Commodus's entry into Rome borrows imagery from Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will (1934), although Ridley Scott has pointed out that the iconography of Nazi rallies was of course inspired by the Roman Empire.

The making of the film

File:Cityrome.jpg
One of the much-praised CGI shots of Rome.

Overall, Gladiator cost a collected 145.7 million dollars to make and advertise, with the main part of the production costs spent on computer special effects. However, the movie grossed over 187 million dollars in American theaters alone and after earning more than 269 million dollars overseas, Gladiator proved to be a huge success at the box office[2].

Actor Oliver Reed died in Malta during the filming of Gladiator; as a result, a body double and digitally altered outtake footage of the actor were used in his absence, at an estimated cost of $3 million. The film is dedicated to his memory.

The soundtrack was composed by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard. Most of the film was shot in Morocco and Malta where a replica of the Colosseum was built.

Awards

Gladiator was nominated in 36 individual ceremonies, including the 73rd Academy Awards, the BAFTA Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. Of 119 award nominations, the film won 48 prizes[3].

The film won five Oscar statuettes at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. It was nominated for an additional seven Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Best Director for Ridley Scott. There is controversy over the film's nomination for Best Original Music Score. The award was officially nominated only to Hans Zimmer, and not to Lisa Gerrard due to Academy rules. However, the pair did win the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score as co-composers.

File:Gladiator09.jpg
"Smile for me now brother!" Oscar-nominee Joaquin Phoenix addresses Oscar-winner Russell Crowe.

Trivia

  • There are rumors and speculation revolving around a possible sequel to Gladiator, one of the clues surrounding the rumors, is a small 2 minute documentary "Easter egg" found on the Extended edition DVD of Gladiator, noting that a sequel is possible.

References

  1. ^ The Movie "Gladiator" in Historical Perspective, a review of Gladiator's historical innacuracies by Allen Ward of University of Connecticut.
  2. ^ Gladiator total gross at Box Office Mojo
  3. ^ Gladiator awards tally at IMDB

See also

Wikiquote has quotations related to Gladiator.
Preceded by Academy Award for Best Picture
2000 		Succeeded by
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